... Billy Blythe's Birthday Tomorrow.

Billy Blythe will be age 61 tomorrow. At his birthplace they'll be somekind of birthday bash for
him no doubt ... Small town Hope, Arkansas, is also where his mother Virginia was born. When Billy was born on August 19th, 1946, his father was already dead so the story goes ... His mom was a nursing orderly at the local Hope General Hospital. Right there was where Billy was born. And from day his mom was determined Billy would make a name for himself. And so he did.
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I first met Billy Blythe in 1988 at his boyhood hometown of Hot Springs at where he graduated from its local High School, I think, in 1964. He later became governor of his birth state after he'd already been to England as a Rhodes Scholar and holding a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In the meantime he'd married Hilary Rodham, whose grandmother I am told was Jewish. Billy Blythe was born a Southern Baptist, but was later to be ''excommunicated'' by the elders of the Southern Baptist Church (SBC) for marital hanky-panky while he held the highest office in the so-called land of milk and honey ...
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Many of you will not know the name Billy Blythe since at age 16 he legally changed his name to
William Jefferson Clinton. Now you know who Billy Blythe is today ... Last Thursday he was in
London under the title of "An Audience With Bill Clinton." To hear him speak and to shake his hand cost $US700- or 350 quid. If you were alittle poorer you could get a ticket for a mere $US500- or 250 quid to share moments with such a presidential and global celebrity ...
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Last time I heard Bill Clinton speak far away from London, it cost me not a red cent. So why pay now so much money to see and hear him again? Even after I have heard him speak on the American political stump perhaps a good dozen times over as many years, it seems once he's finished his speech or presenation I cannot remember what he said even after a couple of hours of hearing him ... That's why so little really sticks to Billy Blythe. Though the story today is that you could put him on any street corner in any part of the world and a crowd will gather to see and hear him. No wonder he's now earning millions of dough as the former 42nd and 43rd President of these United States.
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For me, my personal encounters with those who know or knew Bill Clinton best has instilled in me an interest in all things "Clintonana." Dick Kelley as the step-father to Bill is well remembered by me ... I first personally met Dick in 1999 at the dedication of the William Jefferson Clinton Art Center. A tall and erudite man, and originally from Minnesota and of Presbyterian stock, he was the last of three previous hubbies that Bill's mom Virginia Clinton married. The deep bond between Dick Kelley and Bill Clinton was that of a surrogate father
who dotted on his step-son at every turn. When I saw them together at the ground breaking ceremony of the Clinton Presidential Library, there was no doubt of such a father-son or son-father bond as they publicly hugged each other for all to witness. It was moving for me to see such unconditional human love for each other.
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So sadly, (Richard) Dick Kelley passed away a few months ago and I am sure Bill was truly hurt by such a personal loss. Dick once invited me inside his home and I was struck by the press photographs and family memorabilia of the Clinton Presidential Era that cover almost every wall -- from top to bottom -- at Dick's home. No wonder he told me once that his step-son had brought him "eight wonderful years" while Bill was in The Oval Office.
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One of my most abiding memories of Dick Kelley, who I also saw frequently at the monthly "Arts in the Park" at Hot Springs National Park, was spending a full day photographing him and his golf partners at the Glenwood Country Club ... At the club, there was an annual Democratic
Party fund raiser held in memory of Virginia Clinton Kelley as Bill's mother later became known
to everybody. I'll have more to say about William Jefferson Clinton at a later day ...
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Subject - Viva Monte
Reply-To ... josecorpus@hispaniconline.com
hola monte when i saw you at the world homeless games in denmark you showed how kind you are you took fotos of my team they liked it much you speak spanish mucho my team would like you to come to barcelona jose domingo 12 - 08 - 07
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I have gotten about 5 replies about what the front cover of The Big Issue does NOT have that
almost all other magazines have on their front cover. Nobody as yet as come up with the correct
answer ... If you think you know the answer, please e-mail me at thebiggerissue@k.st
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Hello Monty,I got your card, which is the envy of the LSE Library. Nobody here has ever been to the Faroe Islands, or knows anyone who has visited, so everyone wants to look at the picture and then read about them on the internet. I hope that you had a wonderful time and that the weather, scenery, wildlife and the people were all fascinating. I think that I would wantto experience some stormy weather in a place like that, to see nature in all her power. That would be fantastic to witness strong winds, thunder,lightening and a boiling sea. Well, I hope London isn't too dreary for you now that you are back. I don't know if I shall see you this Saturday, because my dance teacher is away for the Bank Holiday. But I thought I'd drop you a line to see if you were home yet and to find out how the trip went. All the best,Beverly